Ellesmere Island Traverse
Trekking at 79° North in Arctic Canada
This extraordinary mountain wilderness provides the setting for our two-week backpacking expedition on Ellesmere Island, an exciting overland traverse through a dramatic ice-free corridor.
Located less than 700 miles from the North Pole, this remarkable route was discovered 4000 years ago by Paleoeskimos migrating from the Bering Sea to Greenland. The passage is literally straddled by glaciers; it forms the only break in an expanse of polar icecaps stretching over hundreds of kilometres.
"The fact that you're actually working field biologists was a bonus, enabling you to speak with incredible experience and knowledge on all that we encountered"
- Brian Keating - Director of Conservation Outreach,
Calgary Zoo, Alberta
Our expedition follows old muskoxen and caribou trails from tidewater on the western slope up over the height of land to the stunning fjordland of the east coast. An outstanding vista unfolds on route with great glaciers pouring into the pass straight from neighbouring icecaps. Scattered herds of muskoxen roam and graze on tundra grasslands at the foot of the glaciers, while Arctic hare stretch up on their hind legs for a better view as we pass by. Tundra-nesting shorebirds, jaegers and Red-throated loons are some of the bird life to be encountered, and with luck we may stumble across some of the endangered Peary caribou feeding on carpets of purple saxifrage. An added bonus on this trip is that we will have a resupply midway en route greatly reducing the amount of weight in provisions that we carry with us. The drama of this rugged High Arctic landscape leaves you awestruck and inspired to photograph, observe and explore "the land that never melts."
Highlights
- Overland backpacking traverse through a glacier-straddled corridor less than 700 miles from the North Pole.
- Follow the footsteps of ancient inuit nomads and legendary Norwegian explorer, Otto Sverdrup.
- Ellesmere Island is a polar desert with dry, mild summers.
- Glacial valleys and tundra of sedges, willows and Arctic poppies.
- Scenery of lofty mountain ranges, deep fiords, jutting headlands, calving tidewater glaciers and icebergs.
- Possible wildlife sightings include Muskoxen, Peary caribou, arctic hare, arctic wolves and marine mammals.
- Bird life includes Arctic terns, ringed plovers, ruddy turnstones and rock ptarmigan.
- Dramatic arctic light for photography.
- Extraordinary silence and solitude.
- Exceptionally remote.
- Rich archaeology; hike to 4000 year old cultural sites.
Trip Details
- 15 day trip begins and finishes in Resolute Bay.
- Trip includes charter plane flight from Resolute to Ellesmere Island, and return.
- Meals and tents are included.
Itinerary-in-Brief
More information about this trip is available in our in-depth Trip Information Package. Please contact our office to receive these detailed materials.
Day 1: The group flies north to Iqaluit from Ottawa with First Air. Overnight Iqaluit.
Day 2: The group flies north to Resolute Bay from Iqaluit. Upon arrival, weather, pilot hours and aircraft permitting, you will board a chartered Twin Otter for a three hour flight to our drop-off site on the west coast of Ellesmere Island.
Days 3-13: Our expedition follows old muskoxen and caribou trails from tidewater on the western slope up over Sverdrup Pass to the stunning fjordland of the east coast. The distances to be travelled are such that we can afford to camp in several sites for more than one night, thus allowing us ample opportunity to explore without our backpacks. We'll also have the benefit of a resupply midway en route, greatly reducing the amount of weight in provisions that we need to carry with us. Throughout the course of the trip your guides will provide informal commentary on the flora, geology, birdlife, and geographical features of the High Arctic.
Day 14: The group will be picked up by Twin Otter and flown back to Resolute Bay (flight time is dictated by weather). Upon arrival in Resolute, you will be transferred to the South Camp Inn.
Day 15: The day is free to explore the environs of Resolute Bay before catching our flights southward.
